Thursday, January 31, 2008

Mary Lyndsey's Dictionary

You know those things your kids say that just crack you up... well I just had to share these...

"Scratch in the sky" - the white line that an airplane makes.

"Crack in the ground" - a ditch (she certainly isn't a country girl. She didn't even know what a ditch was)

"Eiffel Tower" - any radio tower that we pass.

"Kitty Kat" - a delicious candy bar that we love.

"Pannty Cake" - a breakfast food usually the microwaveable kind for us.

"Hanger Nail" - something that requires clippers to be removed.

"Cheeto's Tissues" - Puff's Plus brand tissues.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Six Quirky Things About Me

Marybeth at Cheaper by the Half Dozen has a post about 6 quirky things about her and asked anyone interested to play along. So here goes.

1. I can only sleep in a bed if the covers are completely straight and tucked in at the bottom.
2. I take my pillow everywhere because it is flat. If a pillow is too high, it gives me a terrible headache. My pillow goes on every trip I take.
3. I have an ongoing list in my head all the time that I am constantly checking off, even silly everyday things - and I usually have a written list of things too. Sometimes I will write something down on the list that is already completed just to have the satisfaction of checking it off.
4. I will not let my husband or my children off the phone or out of the house without saying "I love you" before they hang up or leave.
5. I unplug my iron and curling iron and turn off my clothes dryer even though they all have automatic shut offs - and I am obsessive about checking to see if they are off/unplugged before leaving my home or going to sleep at night.
6. I cannot let a phone ring without answering it which drive my husband crazy.

So I admit, they may not be so much quirky as obsessive compulsive but I rarely forget my cellphone because it's on my list (in my head) of things not to leave the house without, if my house burns down - it won't be because I left the iron or curling iron on and if you call me and I'm home, you are almost certain to get to talk to me.

We are supposed to tag six people but I am tagging only four as I would love to expand my blogroll but can't seem to find the time. They are: Carol at Sheep to the Right, Stephanie at Notes from the Soul, Janet, and Cheri at Pass the salt, please.

Let's see how quirky you are.

Does He still peform signs, miracles and wonders?

I received an email devotion today that states my beliefs more eloquently than I ever could. (See below.) Some of you who read my blog know the story of my son Spencer's birth in which we experienced nothing short of a miracle. That experience changed and shaped me and made me want to tell everyone of God's love and His power. Power that is given to us to lead a victorious Christian life.

Shortly after Spencer was born, he was basically pronounced dead. Our family was informed that he had died and began to call people to pray. Most people prayed for me and Greg. They prayed for strength for us during our time of need and despair... but a dear lady named LouAnn had been praying for God to show her a miracle for several months. When she got the call that Spencer had died, she began to pray John 14:11 -14.

"Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Needless to say, she was not surprised later when she got the call that he was indeed alive and not dead after all. It is a call to remind me to live like I am alive in Christ because He is alive.

Here is the devotion I received. It is from Prime Time with God by Os Hillman.

Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know." (Acts 2:22)

"Jesus did all of His miracles as a man, not as God. Let that sink in. This is a profound truth that has major implications for you and me. It changes everything. Pastor Bill Johnson writes: "Jesus could not heal the sick. Neither could He deliver the tormented from demons or raise the dead. To believe otherwise is to ignore what Jesus said about Himself, and more importantly, to miss the purpose of His self-imposed restriction to live as a man. Jesus said of Himself: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does (John 5:19-20)." In the Greek language the word 'nothing' has a unique meaning -- it means NOTHING. Just like it does in English! He had NO supernatural capabilities whatsoever! While He is 100 percent God, He chose to live with the same limitations that man would face once He was redeemed. He made that point over and over again. Jesus became the model for all who would embrace the invitation to invade the impossible in His name. He performed miracles, wonders, and signs, as a man in right relationship to God... not as God. If He performed miracles because He was God, then they would be unattainable for us. But if He did them as a man, I am responsible to pursue His lifestyle. Recapturing this simple truth changes everything... and makes possible a full restoration of the ministry of Jesus in His Church. "[1] Jesus said you and I will do even greater works than He did. "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12-13) The question for each of us is, "How dependent and obedient to the Holy Spirit are we so we can experience this same power?"

He does still perform signs, miracles and wonders today if we will but ask in His name and believe.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Don't forget to fight

The last week and a half have been extremely busy. We have been fighting colds, traveling and just staying busy with the daily stuff of life. When I traveled to Birmingham last weekend, the local radio station morning show DJ (Rick Burgess) had just lost his son in a terrible accidental drowning. It was all over the news there. It affected me, but I just stayed busy. Yesterday, I read Lysa Terkeurst blog entry about a terrible accident that happened on the edge of her property (Life is Short). It affected me, but I just got busy. Today, I finally took the time to watch the You Tube videos of Rick Burgess at the service for his son. It reminded me that I often stay "too busy." There is a battle going on around us and I often allow myself to be too distracted or too discouraged by my enemy to even join in the fight. Let's not get so busy, distracted or weary that we forget to fight.

If you haven't seen these videos, take half an hour to watch. It is well worth the reminder of what is truly important in this life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PUHUZWyFeg&feature=related
It is an extremely powerful message! It is in three parts. Part 1 is 9:59, part 2 is 9:48, and part 3 is 9:37. Be sure to watch all of it.

Friday, January 18, 2008

I Were Changed More by My Redeemer

You guys know this song… “Oh I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Weiner that is what I really want to be. Cause if I were an Oscar Meyer Weiner, then everyone would be in love with me.” (I know - now you are going to have this tune in your head all day… but at least it isn’t “It’s a Small World.”)

I’ve decided that there is truth in this song. I’ll explain more in a moment. Did you know that a recent survey showed Americans consume 20 billion hotdogs each year? That equals 70 hotdogs per person a year. I don’t know about you, but somebody is eating my hotdogs. I really don’t care for hotdogs all that much; however, sometimes when I am watching television at night with my husband, a commercial for Sonic will come on and they will show a foot long coney with cheese and chili and mustard… or a Ballpark Franks commercial will come on and some little kid will be smiling while eating a hotdog…and right at that moment…I REALLY WANT A HOTDOG!

Sometimes that commercial is then followed by a Coke commercial. You know the one where you hear the ice tinkling in the glass, then you hear the familiar pop of the can or of the lid being unscrewed, then you hear the pouring and fizzing of the Coke over the ice and then the person gulping. Well then, I REALLY WANT A HOTDOG and A COKE!

The power of suggestion is amazing isn’t it? Advertisers use it to their advantage all the time. One night several years ago my husband and I were watching television and a “Be like Mike” Gatorade commercial came on. Greg got up, went to the refrigerator, got a Gatorade and sat back down. He did it without even thinking about it. I made fun of him that he was too easily manipulated; but the reality is when we see someone else enjoying something; we often want that thing too.

Wouldn’t it be great if we as Christians used the power of suggestion to advertise Jesus? If others saw us enjoying Jesus so much that they wanted Him too? If our lives were so changed by the presence of the Holy Spirit, that others wanted to be like us? I am currently teaching an Angela Thomas study called “Living Your Life as a Beautiful Offering” and in it she says: “When I am empty or without spiritual hunger, if I can come alongside someone who desires God, then I feel my spirit being renewed in their presence… After I have been with a spiritual giant, my heart is renewed. My spirit longs for more of God. She has sloshed out Jesus and made me thirsty.”

This is where the truth in the song comes out. I kind of want to be an Oscar Meyer Weiner so everyone would be in love with not me but Jesus in me. Changed so much by my Redeemer that people want to know what the difference is. I want to have people come alongside me and hunger and thirst for Christ because I have “sloshed him out” all over the place. I want them to see Him in me and then want to taste Him too.

Christ says in the Sermon on the Mount “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) In this day and time when so many people are searching for something to fill them because they feel so empty – shouldn’t we be advertising Jesus as much as possible with our lives? We should let them know that He is worth hungering and thirsting for (much more than a hotdog and a coke). Let’s let our lives make others want to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Now introducing...

My friend Janet has started a blog! Won't you stop over and welcome her to the blogosphere.
She is on my favorites as Janet Roller.
She is a talented writer of songs, a devoted mom, a faithful woman of God and a great friend.
I can't wait for you to meet her! And... I can now add her to the list of people to give a "daily dose" to because she always gives me encouragment!

Saturday, January 12, 2008

A Daily Dose


So my friend Stephanie at Notes from the Soul gave me a daily dose of love on her blog and I must say that I needed it today. I think I am supposed to pass this on to five bloggers who encourage me. I must say that these "passing on" things are a little difficult in that I don't read a lot of blogs on a regular basis. I barely have time to post on my own blog but I try to stay caught up with reading a few times a week. I rarely post a comment but I try to be faithful in keeping up. I need to be better about commenting I know, but just know that I am thinking of you girls and trying to stay caught up on what is going on in your lives, while trying to keep up with my own crazy life on most days.


Sorry - This post was just interrupted by a crash from the kitchen which was Mary Lyndsey dropping an entire glass of Orange Fanta on my freshly mopped floor. Of course it spilled on the table, the chair and splashed over everywhere including the walls. And, upon trying to get up the sticky mess from under the table on my hands and knees, I raised up and almost gave myself a concussion on the table in the process. Hence, just one more reason why I needed a dose of love or encouragement today. It has definitely been one of those days!


So, most of the five blogs I read on a regular basis, Stephanie already sent the love to, but I would send it right back to Stephanie, to Carol at Sheep the Right, Deanna at The Cox Connection, Marybeth at Cheaper by the Half Dozen , Joy at Joy in Chaos and Micca at Reflections. I would also like to give it to my friend Janet at her blog she started, but she hasn't sent me the link yet, so I haven't been able to read it - and I'm dying to.


Will catch up more soon!

Christmas Pics




When I posted earlier, I wanted to add pictures of the kids from Christmas but I never could get them to upload - so I thought I would try again. Here are a few!


Monday, January 7, 2008

Happy New Year!

I cannot believe that we are already one full week into the New Year! I thought things would slow down after Christmas but they seemed to have sped up instead. One of my goals this year is to try to post at least twice a week... (it may end up being only once, but I can hope) and since today is January 7, I am already behind. I hope that is not going to be how my entire year will be.

We had a wonderful Christmas! The kids have really enjoyed their gifts. Spencer got a Wii and our entire family has had fun playing it since Christmas morning. I might add that we started playing with it at 4:15am on Christmas morning because my kids were so excited to see what Santa had brought they couldn't wait any longer. So, we were riding a Princess Scooter around the house and bowling on the Wii by 4:30am that morning.

Before Christmas we traveled to South Carolina and visited family. It was a quick trip but a good time with good food - lots of good Bar B Q (the kind I can't get here in Georgia!)
Then we had a wonderful week after Christmas just hanging out. We played games, went to the movies, baked and just had good quality family time. Spencer also turned 8 on Dec. 29. I can't believe he is 8 years old already. Talk about time flying. We had a family party already but he won't have his party with his friends until Jan. 19. It's too hectic to try to plan something for his birthday the week after Christmas.

We started back to school today and I must say that it was tough to come back to reality. We definitely had re-entry problems. But, it was nice to be back into a routine too. I am looking forward to everything that God has in store for us for this new year. I'll keep you "posted" on all of it.

Sweet Blessings,
Amy